Post by drocknut on Jul 24, 2011 23:01:16 GMT -5
I met another rockhound and we went to the Challis Idaho area last weekend. I've been fighting with photobucket to post pictures so if they don't show up here's the link to the album: s119.photobucket.com/albums/o129/sweetinmontana/Challis%20Idaho%20rock%20trip%20July%202011/
some rocks on the ground, too bad they weren't all agates
A couple of rattlesnakes that I came face to face with (about 2 feet away) when I was trying to close a gate and bent down to wrestle with the bottom part. Fortunately I didn't get bitten because I heard the rattle sound, looked up, said "Oh shit!" then backed away slowly. I have never seen a rattler that close before much less two at once. We think I interrupted something
I left them well enough alone.
Cactus in the area were blooming. This area is semi-arid with sagebrush, cactus, and other prickly bushes around.
Fluorite off Garden Creek Road, Challis. This area is great for collecting Idaho fluorite even though it is generally light purple and some light green crystals that are coated with a white/tan film that doesn't want to be clean off.
The whole wall of the pit was coated in about 3 inches of fluorite. I tried to pry some off for collecting but gave up and collected some specimens from the numerous pieces littering the ground from other collectors.
There is also a forest area nearby with tall pines and mosquitoes along with wildflowers. This road used to be a toll road between Challis and the mining towns of Clayton and Bonanza. Toll was $8 for passage from Challis to Bonanza, (35 miles)
The ghost town of Clayton, is restored partly and houses a museum and gift shop. It was a booming silver mining town in the late 1800's and early 1900's.
Stamp mill in Custer ghost town.
Bayhorse mill. This is another restored ghost town in the area. Unfortunately we were there after it closed for the day so only got to see it from afar.
Charcoal kilns where they used to make charcoal for fuel for the smelter.
And last but not least, the view from Chief Joseph pass as I was headed back to Montana.
I don't have any pictures of the rocks I collected yet but will try to post some later. Thanks for coming along on my trip and hope I didn't bore you with all the pictures.
some rocks on the ground, too bad they weren't all agates
A couple of rattlesnakes that I came face to face with (about 2 feet away) when I was trying to close a gate and bent down to wrestle with the bottom part. Fortunately I didn't get bitten because I heard the rattle sound, looked up, said "Oh shit!" then backed away slowly. I have never seen a rattler that close before much less two at once. We think I interrupted something
I left them well enough alone. Cactus in the area were blooming. This area is semi-arid with sagebrush, cactus, and other prickly bushes around.
Fluorite off Garden Creek Road, Challis. This area is great for collecting Idaho fluorite even though it is generally light purple and some light green crystals that are coated with a white/tan film that doesn't want to be clean off.
The whole wall of the pit was coated in about 3 inches of fluorite. I tried to pry some off for collecting but gave up and collected some specimens from the numerous pieces littering the ground from other collectors.
There is also a forest area nearby with tall pines and mosquitoes along with wildflowers. This road used to be a toll road between Challis and the mining towns of Clayton and Bonanza. Toll was $8 for passage from Challis to Bonanza, (35 miles)
The ghost town of Clayton, is restored partly and houses a museum and gift shop. It was a booming silver mining town in the late 1800's and early 1900's.
Stamp mill in Custer ghost town.
Bayhorse mill. This is another restored ghost town in the area. Unfortunately we were there after it closed for the day so only got to see it from afar.
Charcoal kilns where they used to make charcoal for fuel for the smelter.
And last but not least, the view from Chief Joseph pass as I was headed back to Montana.
I don't have any pictures of the rocks I collected yet but will try to post some later. Thanks for coming along on my trip and hope I didn't bore you with all the pictures.
